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Quantum mechanics is one of the fundamental laws of nature and is the queerest one. According to it, in the extremely small sizes, (quanta) all sorts of qeer things can happen, like schroedinger's cat can be alive and dead at the same time! Einstein hated it and said： “God doesn't roll dice!" ...

free will, whatever it is, is a pretty strange and elusive thing. The following speculation is not about determinism in relation to free will, but I think it sort of relates to our decision making and how "free" decisions are conventionally viewed - in the context of a currently popular T...

no, that is a misleading use of "mere experiencers" when applied to words and actions; even over the rest we can have some degree of control Yes, but the degree of control we have is limited. For example, I have been struggling with my mood disorder since 1997. If I could cure myself, I w...

probably true, Compo. Anyway, you obviously do your best, and you have the best of intentions, so well done and please try not to worry about doing the impossible :smile: Thank you animist. If all our choices are determined by our genes, environments, nutrients and experiences, do we really deserve...

OK, I understand. I would argue that it was you who chose to do such things, based on your personality, and it wasn't in any way predestined. It's true you can't do everything that you might want to, and if that distresses you I sympathize with you. Thank you ever so much for your sympathy. The fun...

OK, I understand. I would argue that it was you who chose to do such things, based on your personality, and it wasn't in any way predestined. It's true you can't do everything that you might want to, and if that distresses you I sympathize with you. Thank you ever so much for your sympathy. The fun...

I am glad that you are enjoying the ride. Perhaps I am much more distressed by the presence of suffering and injustice than you are. Is there something I can do about it? Then I can do it. If there isn't anything I can do about, then why should I be distressed? Surely there are things that can be d...

Islam cannot be reformed by the infidels, the Muslims have to do it themselves.. When an infidel knocks their religion it just makes them firmer in their beliefs. Take a look at the Reformation of the Christian Church. It was entirely a revolution from inside the Church. It began in 1517 when the G...

I notice there's a number of these petitions.. https://www.change.org/p/abolish-blasphemy-laws As usual, humanist, atheist, secular, Skeptic-in-the-Pub, Brights and other groups of freethinkers aren't coordinating our efforts. The Christians have their own petition too, apparently. It would help if...

I think that everything is proceeding inevitably and we really are prisoners of causality who are doomed to be conceived without consent, doomed to be doing all we do and don't do, doomed to suffer and doomed to die. I know it's not a cheerful thought but I think it's true. It could be. It doesn't ...

I signed the petition under my real name. As for religions fighting each other, tribalism is required for human conflict. Nationalism, Ideology &/or religion provide the basis. Religion is superstition and the easiest to undermine. Muslims may be most influenced by fellow Muslims, as with any t...

Dear Compassionist, Like the Bible, there are many versions of the Quran and Sharia. Try to get hold of a version not taqiyya-ed (white-washed to fool the infidels). According to Sharia, a man can marry an infant of any age. Muhammed married Aisha at 6! You can have all sorts of sex with her such a...

Dear Compassionist, Like the Bible, there are many versions of the Quran and Sharia. Try to get hold of a version not taqiyya-ed (white-washed to fool the infidels). According to Sharia, a man can marry an infant of any age. Muhammed married Aisha at 6! You can have all sorts of sex with her such a...

ugh, that loaded word which Compassionist uses so much, "prisoners" (maybe it was "slaves", Compo, sorry if I am misremembering you). Causation, if it is anything (and brilliant thinkers like David Hume and Bertrand Russell have rejected the whole concept of causation) is not so...

Obviously, I am disappointed that I can't prevent all suffering, etc. I never thought about it, but it would be pretty cool. If all human choices are inevitable according to deterministic interactions of variables we don't choose e.g. genes, environments, nutrients and experiences, are we truly cul...

Dear Compassionist, Your petition to end blasphemy law is like scratching an itch when you are wearing an overcoat and padded gloves! Have you ever seen the original non/doctored Shariah Laws? Here are some of the "crimes" punishable by death: 1-criticizing the Quran 2-criticizing Muhamme...

glad you mentioned the famous teapot. Russell's point was that it could not be disproved, just as the existence of God could not be disproved. He wanted to show how ridiculous the latter belief was. The onus is always on the believers in some entity to show that it exists, not on those who dispute ...

There are an infinite number of things that I want to do but can't do e.g. go back in time and prevent all suffering, make all beings equally omnibenevolent, omniscient, omnipotent and omniculpable, teleport, resurrect the dead, cure all illnesses, fix the global environment, make poverty history, ...